Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-06
WAKoaBA AND THEREABours,

| a young man from the shadow OF the
gooaly hills of Berkshire, Massachusetts,
with his young and accomplished wife,
to Dakota to search out q field where he
coaId turn gu honest penny. He hears
o rumor that Yankton enterprise was
moving to connect Yankton with Centre.
vile by bringing the Northwestern rail
road to this city. The stakes were not
yet permanently stuck, some said the
line would run here and some ssid there.
He locked the 'possibles" owe and de-
cided to anchor down on what
be thought would be the
proposed line, fer enough removed from
our city for the first station out of Yank-
ton. He did 30 and cast anchor on the
treeless prairie. He built a store build
ing with ample living accommodations
above to make his first strike. Three
years last June he made this beginning
north of Violin Siding. After q time the
stakes OF the proposed railroad were
surely fastened and the dirt began to fly.
Later still tha road viewers strike the
stakes of town boundary. Railroads
love to start ,.de noyo," to begin at
the beginning. The location OF
the first station on this Yankton
branch was not exceptional. There was
one spot commanding III view where
there was nothing save q clam shanty.
The claim was held down by an old
bachelor. This will tell better than any
thing else how much was invested in the
house. 1t, however, passed into the
hands of the railroad station locaters.
When the lots were run off, they went
into market a. lots in the town OF
| Wakonda, the first station on the Yank-
ton extension. Our enterprising Mass.
man saw the chance. Not wishing to be
left out in the cold he put blocks under
his house and his store house
full OF goods was soon on wheels and
good horse power before the wheels. So
the history runs, there was music and
dancing and selling added. The
family lived ia the house all the
same and the merchant stood behind the
counter. The customers came and went,
hltohing their horses to the house be-
hind. The house went on selling goods,
went on cooking and living, went on
with the moving. The free ride of the
customers was ss free as tho paper bags
and Irvine that tied up the sugar. At
| last the house, the goods, the organ, the
merchant and family came to q halt on
one OF the town lots in Wakonda. MIR.
E. r, Wight brought the first house, the
first stock of goods and his wife brought
the first music. These musical notes OF
a well fingered organ have sounded out
over this prairie town to the new tune
of progress. For the claim shanty has
passed and instead 9 he bachelors
desolate home there have sprung up
eight stores, two hotels, n bank, and
various artisan establishments and two
churches. I am sorry to say the latter
institution are not ''oyerly we'll" pat
ronized in this town. 1t is o good town
for the railroad. The shipment OF live
hogs is extensive. Four or five car losds
go from this town to the eastern market
per week. Piles OF baled hay are to be
seen near the depot awaiting cars enough
to carry ii to Chicago and other places,
this baled luxury Tor the bovine family
being out from the prt ductive meadows
OF Dakota. This hay is bought and baled
at the stacks. Three dellars a ton goes
into the farmers pocket from the stack
The post office is wet patronized
Postmaster France makes q good gov.
eminent officer. Well might he be vel
versed in Uncle Sans ways OF mail ser
vice, for he has been q POSTMASTER fol
thirteen years continuous years-frst
at Lodi and now At Wakonda-al
through the postal dispeDsations o
Howard, Bowen and Palmer at Yankton
P. M. France has about as neat a post
office outfit as you will find in the besv
fourth class office in the land. He SELL
drugs to his customers when they come
for the news.
oks 1AniaWuJs ~ Shnuu0N0 VA " AhA
Arbor medical school, is the only physi'
! clan IN the town. Drs. Van Yelsol
and Etter, before the coming OF the pres
emit physician, made a good medlca
record in this town and region.
There is another drug store in tn,
town run by Gilchrist, who collects the
news ltems OF the town for what wa
once the Wskonda Independent, located
in this town, but since removed to Cen
treville, taking the name of the Centre
vile Journal. The old sign OF the In
dependent is yet oonspicuously displayet
from one OF the buildings in the town
although Its spirit has fed to Centre
vile.
There is . stage from Hurley to Yer
l million, up one day and down the next
making this town one of its points. Thu
stage is driven by o Her bus
band, Wigs had the route. died six o
seven years ego, and on his death sh
took up his calling. She is spoken Q
: with great respect. She has a numbe
y of children and drives in ell kinds c
weather. This Is ahead OF q womal
holdirg down q claim.
This town is growing. Landlor
Maxwell, Of one of the hotels, VIII
has q number OF boarders. had anothe
" ElM NaE. hE1aHF =, . ,r. -, 30.